Abrasive device



Oct. 2 W23. 1,469,404

w. c. BOHRMANN ABRASIVE DEVICE Filed May 25. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 14/ 6190 Get. 2 1923.-

w. c. BOHRMANN ABRASIVE DEVICE 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. BOHBMANN, OF BELVEDERE, CALIFORNIA.

ABBASIVE DEVICE.

Application filed m 25, 1922. Serial are. 563,702.

To all whom. it may concern: sary to grasp a wad or bunch of it in the 55 Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. Bormhand, and the users hand, unless gloved, MANN, a citizen of the United States, and a comes into direct contact with the steel wool. resident of Belvedere, Marin County, State This method of using steel wool is very l of California, have invented a certain new objectionable to the users; for the stiff sharp and useful Abrasive Device, of which the particles of steel wool readily penetrate the co following is a specification. skin of the users hands, causing much dis- The invention relates to an abrasive decomfort and often setting up more or less irvice and particularly to a device employing ritation and soreness, as these small particles to steel wool as the abrasive material. of steel wool act in and under the skin very An object of the invention is to provide much like a splinter or sharp thorn. In means for making possible the mechanical household use many housewives also object use of steel wool in the industries and for to using steel wool in any of its present facilitating its use in the household. forms because it likewise roughens the skin Another object of the invention is to proof the hands.

vide a steel wool abrasive device for con- Furthermore, steel wool, in any of its 70 venient household use. present forms, is used wastefully and with- The invention possesses other advantaout obtaining the highest degree of eflicacy geous features, some of which, with the forelatent in'this abrasive and polishing agent, going, will be set forth at length 1n the fol-v because the user, being obliged to clasp the lowing description where I shall outline in steel wool directly in the hand, bunches it 75 full those embodiments of my invention up in various rough shapes in order to be which I have selected for illustration in-the a le to retain his grasp thereon, and in thus drawings accompan ing and forming part rolling and bunching u these pliable and of the resent speci cations. In said drawloose forms of steel woo while using it, the

ings I ave shown severalv forms of devices steel wool is broken up and the broken par- 80 embodying my invention, but it is to be ticles and smaller bunches thereby separate understood that I do not limit myself to from the original wad or bunch and are such forms, since the invention, as set forth lost by falling away from it.

.30 in the claims, may be embodied in a plu- Therefore, in order to overcome the obrality of other forms. jections to the vuseof steel wool in its present 5 Referring to said drawings forms as set forth above, and also in order Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form to greatly extend the use of steel wool to of device embodying my invention. many industries that require an abrasive or Figure 2 is a cross section through a polishing agent to be applied by mechanicalmodified form of the device. ly driven devices instead of by costly'hand 0 Figure 3 is a cross section through another labor, I have provided a device employing form of the device. steel wool as the abradant, which permits the Figure 4 is a cross section through a furmaterial to be used without grasping it w ther modified form of the device. directly in the hand and which prevents ex- Figure 5 is a view of a modified form of cessive wastage of steel wool when in use. 5

the device; and, Figure 6 is a viewof the In accordance with my invention, the bulk abrasive device, showing its preferred form steel wool is preferably first put through a when' it is to be secured to a moving elecarding process, or other similar process Mi ment. which will draw the fibers into a continuous Fig. 7 is a view of the invention as applied layer which is of approximately uniform 1 Y to a rotaryholder. density and thickness. For certain uses, the

Steel wool is a very effective and efiicient layer or strip is compressed or compacted abradant, but, as far as I am aware, no by passing it between compression rollers,

means or devices have been provided for and for other purposes, the layer or strip permitting optimum results to be obtained ma be twisted intorope -like formand sevby its use. The steel wool is placed on the era of the rope-like strands may be braided market in bulk form and in small bunches, together, when desired.

and in using 1t in either form, it is neces- These compacted strands, eitherin form of strips, ropes or braids are then attached to firm prepared backings, of closely woven canvas, or other stout firm material, referably by rows of machine stitching. y thus stitching the steel wool, in any of its prepared rms preferably by fabric thread. stitching to a firm backing, the material is not only disposed so thatit-may be used without objection, but the steel wool will be held firmly together, nearly every fiber being securely attached b said stitching to the canvas or other bacng, thus reventing wastage. 'Ihe stifiness of the acking also prevents the material from being bunched and broken up, thus further reducing wastage. For certain uses of this device I have found it advisable to spra that surface of the compacted strandso steel wool that comes into contact with the prepared backing, with liquid sodium silicate, varnish, shellac, liquid glue, or other similar sizing or binding material, thus lending further rigidity and cohesion to the fibers of steel wool.

In Figure 1, I have shown a devicefor hand use, embodying my invention. 'lhis device comprises a backing 2, of canvas, or comparable material, stitched or otherwise fastened together at the center to form a grip or handle 3, extending outward from and integral with the backing. Seemed within this grip, along its outer edge, is a length of rope 4 or similar material which lends bulk to the grip, so that it may be more conveniently grasped. Secured to the backing 2, by the lines of stitching 5, is a pad or layer 6 of compacted steel wool, preferably extending for substantially the len h of the backing. The backing is prefera 1y of greater width than the pad or layer 6, thereby providing flexible flaps 7 along the sides, which project beyond the steel wool and prevent it from coming into contact with the users hand. The form of device shown by Figure 4 is intended for use in conjunction with a firm wooden or metal backing to which this device can be attached by means of the wide loose flaps.

projecting beyond the side edges of this device, and this device, when so combined with a suitable wooden or metal backing, is intended for use in rubbin down by hand, or abrading by hand, plane surfaces, or may be secured to a power driven element.

In order to render the canvas or other backing material less liable to distortion in use, and to prevent liquids used with the abradant from coming into contact with the canvas, I have found it advisable, for some uses, to rubberize or otherwise render impermeable the surface of the backing which lies adjacent the steel wool including the same surface of said projecting loose flaps. In Figure 2, I have shown a layer 8 of ruber or comparable material arranged on the but to arrange a layer of soap neeaaoe surface of the bacldng. This rubber or other similar material is referably applied to the backing in liquid or plastic form and the pad of steel wool is preferablystitched to the backing while the rubber material is still in plastic form, thus more firmly securing the steel wool to the backin It will be understood that the backlng, as a whole, preferably consists of the outer fabric or flexible layer 2 and the interposed layer 8, which is formed of a flexible material substantially impervious to steel wool.

For kitchen and household use, it is often advantageous to use a detergent, such as soap, with the steel wool, to secure the desired results. It has been proposed heretofore to impregnate with soap a pad of steel wool having no other attachment, but I have found that the soap washes out of such pad, duringthe first few times that {it is used, leavingonly the steel wool remaining. In accordance with my invention, I propose not to combine the soap with the steel wool,

steel wool, so that the water or other solvent used with the steel wool, will dissolve the soap slowly, when the device is being used, causing a soap solution to flow through the steel Wool to the surface of the object being cleansed therewith. In Figurev 3, I have shown one form of device in which a layer of soap 9, is interposed between the rub berizedbacking and the steel wool pad. The soap is preferably applied in plastic form before the steel wool is applied, and the stitching is then passed through the backing, the soap layer and the steel wool. To prevent the soap from being consumed too rapidly, when the device is dipped in water and then rubbed over a surface, and to prevent the fibers and particles of the steel wool from cutting oflr chips of the soap, as-

the device is used, I prefer to enclose the soap layer in a pervious. envelope 10, formed of cotton gauze, cheese cloth or other comparable material. theenvelope completely enfold the soap, since its function is primarily to separate the soap from the steel wool, but I prefer to fold the side edges of the pervious material over the side ed s of the soa layer, so that they are posltioned overt e soap layer in such position as to be caught by one of the rows of stitching.

When the steel wool is to be used as an abradant in a backing to which the compacted layer, or strand is secured, may be of any desired dimansions, so that it may pass around a cylinder'or drum or so that it may be readily attached to any suitable movable element. When used for these purposes, the grip 3 may be dispensed with, and the side flaps 7 may or may not be used, as desired and such pads would preferably be attached to behind the It is not essential that.

Ill

ltill messes said revolving drums or cylinders by means of projections of backing material of suitable length extending beyond the two ends of the steel wool pad.

I claim:

1. An abrasive device comprising a backing of imperviousmaterial, a layer of compacted steel wool secured to said backing and flexible flaps extending from the sides of said backin 2. An abrasive device comprising a flexible backing, a compacted layer of steel wool stitched to said backing, a layer of flexible impervious material interposed between the steel wool and the backing and a handle on said backing.

3. An abrasive device comprising a backing, a compacted layer of steel wool secured to said backing and a layer of soap intersed between said backing and layer.

4. An abrasive device comprising a backing, a compacted layer of steel wool secured to said backing, a layer of soap interposed between said backing and layer and a strip of pervious material interposed between the soap and the steel wool.

5. An abrasive device comprising a flexible backing, a compacted layer of steel wool stitched to said backing and a layer of soap interposed between the layer and the backing.

6. An abrasive device comprising a flexible backing, a compacted layer of steel wool stitched to said backing, a layer of soap interposed'between the backing and the layer and a strip of pervious material interposed between the soap and the steel wool.

7. An abrasive device comprising a flexible impervious backing, a compacted layer of steel wool stitched to said backing, a layer of soap interposed between the backing and the steel wool and a strip of pervious material interposed between the soap and the steel wool.

8. An abrasive device comprising a flexible backing and a layer of steel wool impregnated with a binder of sodium silicate, secured to said backing.

' 9. An abrasive device comprising a rectangular flexible backing folded on itself and secured together along the center line thereof to form a handle and a layer of steel Wool secured to said backing.

10. An abrasive device, comprisingaflexible backing and a layer of steel Wool permanently secured thereto, said wool being combined with a flexible binder slowly soluble in water.

11. An abrasive device comprising a flexible backing folded on itself and secured together to form a handle for the device as an integral part of such backing, and a layer of steel wool permanently secured to said backin 12. n abrasive device comprising a flexible backing which is folded on itself and secured together to form a handle for the device as an integral part of such backing, a

layer of steel wool permanently secured to said backing, and a layer of impervious flexible material interposed between the backing and the steel wool.

13. n abrasive device for permitting the use of steel wool without requiring contact of the hand of the user with the steel wool comprising a flexible backing substantially impervious to steel wool fibers, a layer of steel wool permanently secured to said backing, and a hand grip extending across the center of said backing and secured to said backing throughout its entire length.

14. An abrasive device comprising a flexible backing, a layer of steel wool, a layer of flexible material impervious to steel wool interposed between the steel wool and the backing, said backing, impervious material and steel Wool bein permanentl secure together, and a handle permanent y secured to said backing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set In hand.

y WILLIAM C. BOHRMANN. 

